


Free

by OOOH_LYA



Category: Glee
Genre: (a couple of), Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bullying, Canon Trans Character, Drama, Dyslexia, F/M, Fluff, Happy Ending, LGBTQ Themes, Misgendering, Slurs, Trans Character, Trans Female Character, Transphobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-11
Updated: 2018-02-11
Packaged: 2019-03-16 22:48:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13646028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OOOH_LYA/pseuds/OOOH_LYA
Summary: After thinking for some time Ryder types:«Hows ur blouze?»





	Free

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [Свободный](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/356817) by яблоневая пуговица (apple button). 



> My mother-tongue is Russian so I'm sure there are grammatical or punctuation mistakes. I just wanted to share this work with English-speaking community. And I need some practice 'cause of my exams.  
> If there is a DISASTROUS mistake, please tell me about it, I'd appreciate it, thank you.
> 
> Author's note:  
> It's my OTP. So it goes.  
> Kind of a fairy tale.

Ryder has tried not to be near choir room again. And he was doing well, but the history teacher assigned him for some extra classes. In a freaking history class, which has the only way to.

Ryder wants to pass an opened door of the choir room as fast as he can, but somehow he can’t. Somehow he can’t so he fades in a couple of steps away from the door. They are arguing there and Ryder has no clue what is the reason of the argument, because he wasn’t there from the beginning. He knows it’s probably about the week assignment suggested by mister Shue or by somebody from the glee club. If Ryder still was a part of them, he’d suggested something like «10 things you hate about the one who came to your life and ruined it». No doubt Ryder couldn’t write the sentence without mistakes, but he doesn’t care at all.

And Ryder isn’t there. He is standing in an empty hallway. He is late for extras. So Ryder honestly makes a step towards the history class, but stops again. Everybody in the choir room shuts up and then the song starts. Unique is singing.

 _«Frigging dirty liar»_ , — Ryder thinks while pushing his fists.  
Frigging. Dirty. Liar.

The song is about forgiveness. And a little bit of love. It seems ridiculous to Ryder. Because his and Unique’s not-joint story isn’t about it. It’s about betrayal and meanness.  
Angrily, Ryder comes into the choir room, but stands still after making three steps in. He doesn’t know how he found himself on here. All the faces are turned to him and Ryder wants to spit something mean or to run away. But before he does the last, he sees Unique intermitting his song with tears on his face.

* * *

«We’re still friends, aren’t we?» — Jake asks sitting next to Ryder in the cafeteria, — «I mean, even if you’re not in the glee club anymore».

«Yes», — Ryder says.

«I’m sorry it all happened to you, bro. That Katie-Unique thing».

Ryder doesn’t response. He pushes mashed potato with his fork, but there are no lumps. And Jake wisely decides to give him some time. To get over the shock, maybe. Jake really feels sorry for Ryder. And somehow for Unique too. Jake will never tell Ryder that last week he took both Marley and Unique to cinema. Marley tried not to leave her alone (Puckerman had got used to «her» pronounce). He understands. BFF and other stuff. But he won’t tell Ryder about it. No way. Never. So Jake moves to club’s table.

Ryder leaves the mashed potato alone and tries to read the text on a carton of juice, but the letters are messing up just like his life. He intolerably wants to throw this carton at somebody.

For example, at that guy in a skirt and a cheap wig, whom Ryder opened all his secrets to. Unique walks down with a tray in hands and the queen’s posture. Ryder almost reaches for the juice, but hockey jocks are ahead of him. A slush spot blurs on (disgusting, simply disgusting, Ryder thinks) Unique’s blouse. Unique puts the tray on the nearest table and confidently (only lips tremble treacherously) moves to the door. Marley, Kitty and Tina jump up from the club table and rush after her.

Ryder feels something similar to satisfaction. And he almost smirks, but suddenly realizes that Katie (Unique, Ryder corrects himself) was never telling him about her own problems. But Ryder’s stuff was always discussed. And Unique (not Katie, Ryder reminds to himself) gave him advices, good ones, understood him like no one did. But Ryder can’t forgive Unique as he hates to be lied to.

Ryder doesn’t understand what controls him when his juice flies directly into a plate of mashed potatoes, spraying everything and everybody around with juice and mash. The hockey jocks are screaming and searching for the crackpot, but Ryder is already on his way to the door. Hockey players are unavenged.

Ryder smiles. For the first time for real in last two weeks.

* * *

That night Ryder can’t fall asleep. He takes his phone, chooses the number and does the thing that he wasn’t brave enough to do.

In the «Name» line he deletes «Katie» and writes «Unique».

After thinking for some time Ryder types:  
_«Hows ur blouze?»_

 _«It took some time, but now it looks like nothing happened»_ , — Unique replies.  
_«I’m sorry»._

Ryder stares at the screen for ten minutes, but doesn’t type anything more. He can’t forgive, not now.  
Then he puts his phone on the floor and falls asleep.

* * *

After school, Ryder lingers near his locker and hears Marley and Jake’s conversation.

«Marley, I do care for her too, but we can’t defer our date. She can get to her house by herself for this time without our escort», — Jake says softly, but insistently.

«Well. I know. She is just not as strong as she seems to be».

Jake takes Marley’s hand, winks (kind of encouragingly) at Ryder, and they left.

Ryder sees how long time it takes for Unique to straighten his wig in front of the mirror that is affixed to his locker’s door. Ryder knows Unique doesn’t want to go home alone. Or it scares (it’s not a girl, a guy!) him.

Ryder still can’t forgive. And so they walk quietly stepping on the cracked pavement. Unique fumbles the bag’s belt, Ryder tries not to look at it. It’s annoying.

A couple of minutes later Unique decides to break the silence:  
«How are your special classes going? Any improves?»

Ryder is quiet. He whists that long, so Unique doesn’t wait for answer. But Ryder speaks:  
«Yeah. There are. Small, but hope-giving.»

And hush again. Ryder badly wants to say _«Why?»_ And what concretely: _«Why did you destroyed my life?»_ , _«Why do I feel so disgusting?»_  or _«Why are we not talking anymore?»_  — he doesn’t know. Ryder would ask one question, but he hears laughter. A group of girls is blocking the way. Unique stands frightenedly, like ready to run away.

«Who-o-o do we see-e-e?» — the tallest and thinnest one says nastily. — «A girl in a boy, didn’t you take the leaflet we gave you the last time? Freak shows don’t open their castings everyday!»

The girls are laughing. Unique makes a step back. And Ryder sees that Unique is not as strong as seems to be.

«And who’s with you?» — a curly girl with the shortest skirt in the world asks. — «Indeed, Ladyboy! You have saved your money to hire this sexy macho instead of that black’n’white couple?»  
«Maybe it is his correctional labor?»  
«Is he from charitable fund of help to freaks like you?»  
«Or he is your boyfriend?»

All girls are laughing at the last, completely fantastical guess. The laughter is that loud and irritating, so Ryder cuts it in by taking Unique’s hand.

Unique flinches, then proudly raises chin, and, pushing the girls with the words: «Get out the way, skinny white asses», moves forward with Ryder.

After passing a quarter Ryder thinks that he still hates Unique and he must release his hand, but keeps hands locked.  
After passing a quarter Unique thinks that Ryder hates her and he will set her hand loose, but they walk to her house like this.

They don’t say any word.

* * *

At night Unique writes: _«Thank you»_  
Later again: _«I’m so sorry»_.

Ryder replies: _«Not at oll»_.  
He types: _«Girls need to be protekted»_.

He thinks for some time and later adds: _«Im sorri too»_.

* * *

The next day Ryder is back in the glee club. He doesn’t seat with Unique and almost doesn’t look at her.

But after school he waits for her. And they hold each others' hands silently stepping on the cracked pavement.

Mean girls are still hooting, but not blocking the way.

Nothing blocks their way anymore.

That’s why one day Ryder asks Unique:  
«Have you seen the new movie with Johnny Depp?»


End file.
